07/08/2008 11:57 AM

Page: 1  | 2  | 3  | 4

Weekly Clean Energy Roundup: July 8, 2008

Page 3

The bill does have more specifics in other areas. To coordinate's the state's efforts on energy and climate change, the bill establishes the Florida Energy and Climate Commission. Regarding fuels, the bill requires all gasoline sold in the state (with some exceptions) to contain 10% ethanol by the end of 2010. The bill establishes a telecommuting program for state agencies and requires those agencies to buy or lease fuel-efficient vehicles and to use ethanol or biodiesel fuel blends when available. It also allows hybrids and other low-emission and energy efficient vehicles to use the high-occupancy-vehicle lanes without paying a toll, regardless of the number of passengers in the car.

The bill requires the Florida Public Service Commission to set goals for the use of customer-located renewable energy systems and to help meet those goals, it requires each public utility to develop a standardized interconnection agreement and net metering program for such systems by the beginning of next year. It also requires the same of municipal and rural electric utilities by July 1, 2009. For customers with anaerobic digesters, the bill requires utilities to offer net metering for multiple electric meters.

The bill also authorizes the commission to allow utilities to earn greater profits for saving energy. In addition, the bill expands the state's Innovation Incentive Program to include renewable energy projects, creates a new grant program to help local governments achieve green standards, and expands the state's Renewable Energy Technology Grants Program to include energy efficiency technologies for vehicles and commercial buildings.

Regarding buildings, the bill requires the Florida Building Commission to prepare a 2010 edition of the Florida Energy Efficiency Code for Building Construction that increases the energy performance of new buildings by at least 20% relative to the 2007 Florida Building Code, increasing to a 50% performance improvement by the 2019 edition.

The bill also requires new buildings constructed and financed by the state to be designed and built to meet nationally recognized green building standards, and it requires the same standards for all buildings used by the state's counties, cities, school districts, water management districts, state universities, community colleges, and state courts. The same standards apply to renovations of existing state buildings. The bill also requires state agencies to lease Energy Star-rated buildings and to employ energy saving performance contracts to upgrade existing facilities. It also encourages state agencies to buy climate-friendly products and to use "green" hotels and conference facilities. See a staff analysis of the bill (PDF 356 KB) or go directly to the full 237-page text (PDF 595 KB).

California Proposes a Path to Cut Greenhouse Gas Emissions

The California Air Resources Board (CARB) released a draft plan last week that charts a course to reduce the state's greenhouse gas emissions by 30% over the next 12 years. Central to the Climate Change Draft Scoping Plan is a cap-and-trade program for major emitters that will cover 85% of the state's emissions. The program will be developed in conjunction with the Western Climate Initiative, which includes seven Western states and three Canadian provinces.

The plan proposes that utilities produce a third of their energy from renewable energy resources while expanding and strengthening their energy efficiency programs. The draft plan also calls for full implementation of the California Clean Car law and the state's Low Carbon Fuel Standard. Other measures in the plan include sustainable development, full deployment of the governor's Million Solar Roofs initiative, high-speed rail, water-related energy efficiency measures, and a range of regulations to reduce emissions from trucks and ships in California ports. The plan also calls for Californians to take personal actions to reduce their carbon footprint. See the CARB press release and the full plan (PDF 690 KB).

« back   next »